The present invention relates to a hydraulic fluid reservoir and, in particular, to improvements to a cyclone reservoir for separation of aerated fluid by circulation.
In hydraulic systems where a hydraulic fluid is circulated by pumps, the hydraulic fluid often needs to be de-aerated. Conventionally, in stationary structures, the de-aeration requires the use of a large hydraulic tank with de-aeration by gravity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,760, which is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if set forth in its entirety herein, which issued on Jul. 6, 1999 discloses a design of a hydraulic reservoir in which fluid is circulated so as to enable the reservoir size to be reduced while still permitting the fluid to be de-aerated.
However, there remains a need for improvements to cyclone reservoirs in order to both improve de-aeration and to reduce the cost and complexity of manufacture of such cyclonic reservoirs.